Profile
Katherine Jones
My CV
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Education:
Willen Combined School (1988-1992), Aylesbury High School (1992-1998).
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Qualifications:
GCSE’s (English, maths, science, technology, French, Spanish, music, history)
A levels (Chemistry, biology, maths, further maths)
MSci& BA,University of Cambridge: studied Natural Sciences, specialised in Chemistry.
PhD, University of Strathclyde: a few years after I started at GSK I completed a PhD part time, based on the science I did at work. -
Work History:
I have worked at GlaxoSmithKline since I graduated. When I was a student, I worked in a factory and also at a call centre.
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Current Job:
Medicinal chemistry team leader
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About Me:
I live in Thetford, Norfolk. In my spare time, I enjoy running and volunteering at Parkrun, and doing conservation work in Thetford Forest.
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Read more
I work as a medicinal chemist looking at new medicines that could be used to treat a range of different diseases. The biologists give an idea of the protein we want our medicine to interact with. X-ray crystal structures of our compounds give us pictures of the protein. These let us design changes to the chemical structure that will make a better shaped structure to inhibit that enzyme. This is like designing a better shaped key to try to unlock a door. Once we draw on paper the chemical structure we want to make, then we have to work out how to make it. This can be the most difficult part! Sometimes it can take many reactions, and many weeks, before we are successful. When we finally make the compound, it is a really good feeling, especially if it took a long time.
We give the compound to biologists, who tell us if it interacts well with the protein – a good shaped key to unlock the door! This is a test in a small tube, with cells, or blood from people who donate it in our blood donation unit. Eventually, and after many attempts to get the compound correct, we might test it in an animal. We have very strict rules about when we can do this, and the types of experiments we can do. It is also very expensive, so we have to make sure we have the best possible compound. Eventually – if the project is successful – we hope to get a license that allows us to start clinical trials and see if our medicine works in patients. That really would be great!
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My Typical Day:
Doing chemical reactions in the lab, and working on my computer to write up my experiments. Talking to my team to see how their chemistry is working and trying to help if they are stuck. Also talking to biologists to see how well the compounds we have made are working.
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In the morning, I get in and check my email. If I have had a chemical reaction going overnight, I look to see if it has worked. If it has worked, that is a good start to the morning! I spend some time in the lab – I have to purify my reaction next. This means getting rid of all the things in the mixture that I don’t want, so that in the end what I have is very pure and clean. I check in with my team members. I talk to them about any problems they have with their own chemistry, and we work out how they might be able to solve them. My team has a real mixture of experience – we have people who have worked as chemists for 30 years, and we have students doing a one year placement at GSK as part of their degree.
After lunch, I look at any results that our biologists have from their experiments on the compounds we made. Then I think about what new compounds we could make, and what chemical reactions we need to do to make them. Sometimes we go to lectures about chemistry, where we learn new things that are going on in universities or other companies.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I want to encourage as many people as possible to experience working in a laboratory.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Stubborn, geeky, cheeky!
What did you want to be after you left school?
I didn’t really know… I just liked chemistry so I decided to study that at university and see what happened.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sometimes… usually for messing about in lessons!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Blur – yes, I am that old!
What's your favourite food?
Pasta
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Be happy, discover a new medicine, watch England win the Ashes live in Australia!
Tell us a joke.
Two atoms were walking across a road when one said, “I think I lost an electron!” “Really!” the other replied, “Are you sure?” “Yes, I’m positive!”
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